Free Worlds Away by Valmore Daniels

couldn’t
handle it anymore, the doctor finished the procedure.
    “There,” Doctor Naysmith said, giving Michael a pat on the
shoulder, “good as new.”
    ∞
    It was a few hours later when the soldiers came for him.
With ruthless efficiency, they unstrapped him from the gurney. Michael hadn’t
seen Doctor Naysmith since he’d tended his head wound, and there was no sign of
him now.
    The soldiers didn’t give him time to get his balance. When
his pace proved too slow for them, two of them grabbed his arms and dragged him
out of the infirmary.
    “You’re ripping my arms out of their sockets,” Michael said,
not expecting his words to have any effect.
    “We’re almost there,” the squad leader said, as if to
reassure him that the discomfort was temporary.
    They led him through the halls and back to the elevator,
though this time they descended to the lower levels. When the doors opened,
Michael saw that they were in the main docking bay area.
    Yaxche was there, standing beside a metal casket. The moment
Michael’s guards let his arms go, he hurried over to the old man. The soldiers
fanned out, rifles at the ready, but they didn’t stop him.
    “Are you all right?” he asked, and felt a surge of relief
when Yaxche nodded.
    “Ahyah. They only wanted me to tell them my story.”
    Lowering his voice, Michael asked, “The Song of the Stars?”
    Nodding, Yaxche said, “Alex said to go ahead and do so; that
it would make no difference.”
    That puzzled Michael, and he gave Yaxche a quizzical look.
The Mayan shrugged one shoulder. “Alex could have sung it from memory, but I
think he wanted a chance to say goodbye to me.”
    Michael put his hand on the casket. “I feel bad for Kenny.”
    “He makes the final journey. I do not worry; his is a wise
spirit.”
    The sound of boot steps got Michael’s attention, and he
looked around to see Lieutenant Gao approach.
    “Mr. Sanderson, I’ve been assigned to transport the three of
you to Luna Station, where you will then be put on a rapid transit capsule,
which we will send to the Nova Scotia Space Port. I trust you will not resist,
or cause any trouble during the flight. I would rather not put you into bio
stasis again.”
    Michael took a deep breath, then nodded. “You have my word.”
He glanced at Yaxche, who gave the lieutenant a toothy smile.
    “Good,” Lieutenant Gao said. He took one measured step back,
and gestured toward where his ship was docked. “If you will follow me, we’ll
get you situated in secure quarters. The flight will last approximately three
days, and the capsule trip should take less than twelve hours.”
    They trailed behind Lieutenant Gao as he led them to his
ship, while the Solan soldiers followed, watchful for any transgression.
    In the ship, one of the officer’s quarters had been
converted to a temporary detention area. It was cramped for two people, but at
least they had some privacy.
    Michael wanted to share his theories on what had happened in
Sol System, but Yaxche didn’t seem very interested in conversation or company.
    At one point, Michael asked if there was anything wrong with
him, to which Yaxche shook his head. “I have not had much time for meditation,”
he told him. “I am a simple man; I am not used to all this excitement. I only
wish to go home.”
    Once they reached orbit around the Moon, they were given an
hour to stretch their legs before they were taken to the capsule area of the
ship.
    Lieutenant Gao was there to see them off. “I can’t promise
you it will be a smooth ride,” he said. “It will only get rougher when you hit
the atmosphere. If you make it through that without any serious damage, you
should be fine. We’re aiming for a splashdown off the coast of Nova Scotia. I’ve
been authorized to notify your government of your return; they should be
waiting for you.”
    Michael’s diplomatic side compelled him to say something.
“Unlike certain others, you’ve treated us decently,